In The News

Putin and Erdogan Move to Restore Russia-Turkey Ties

Olesya Astakhova and Andrew Osborn August 10, 2016
Russian-Turkish relations hit a low point in November after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane that had strayed into its territory from Syria. Both countries are experiencing deteriorating ties with the West, and presidents Vladimir Putin and Tayyip Erdogan, the latter who survived a failed military coup, have met to explore restoration of economic relations. “The meeting paves the way for a...

Crowding Out the Locals: Are Weekend Trips Ruining Cities?

Dinah Deckstein and Alexander Kühn August 9, 2016
Many tourists try to squeeze as many possible experiences as possible into a few days, and quick weekend jaunts are common. Communities and businesses target visitors with sporting events and festivals; less savory are pub crawls and binge-drinking activities. “Tourists are conquerors who disguise themselves as friends, which often makes them difficult to deal with, no matter how much money they...

Brexit Could End Up Strengthening the European Union

Chris Miller August 9, 2016
The European Union may strengthen after voters in the United Kingdom elected to withdraw from the Union, and Chris Miller, associate director of Yale’s Grand Strategy Program, offers analysis as to why: Britain’s economic challenges could prompt hesitation among other members contemplating a similar move. The EU will drive a hard bargain, refusing to give in to unreasonable demands by voters who...

Capitalist Democracy’s Left-Behinds Challenge the System

Humphrey Hawksley August 2, 2016
Democracy appears to be malfunctioning in a fast-paced world. “The concept of the Western-style democratic system is that an accountable government funded by revenue from the market will distribute wealth thus creating a stable society,” writes journalist Humphrey Hawksley, who points out large number of citizens, many uneducated, are convinced that democratic systems are rigged by wealthy and...

Brexit Blues in Central Europe

Joji Sakurai July 28, 2016
Europe's opponents of immigration may be triumphant about Brexit, but the crowing won’t last long in countries that depend on the European Union for technical advice, aid, trade and foreign investment that allowed them to outperform the European Union as a whole. “To hear the rhetoric, one might assume that ‘Huxit’ or ‘Czexit’ – departures by Hungary or the Czech Republic – may be around the...

Trump Sets Conditions for Defending NATO Allies

David E. Sanger and Maggie Haberman July 22, 2016
The Republican nominee for US president set off alarm bells in Europe by suggesting he might not quickly aid Baltic States against a Russian attack. Defense might depend whether they “have fulfilled their obligations to us,” Donald Trump said in an interview with the New York Times. “During a 45-minute conversation, Mr. Trump re-emphasized the hard-line nationalist approach that has marked his...

Electorate Tremors: The Era of the Angry Voter Is Upon Us

Julia Amalia Heyer, Gordon Repinski, Mathieu von Rohr, Christoph Scheuermann and Holger Stark July 15, 2016
Voters are outraged about intense global competition that has put local factories and other workplaces on notice, reducing jobs and wages. Voters in democracies worry about losing control over communities, and they blame all facets of globalization. “The outrage is directed against elites in politics and in the business community, against the established political parties, against the ‘mainstream...